Bandana, a Supernatural fic

[27jj]

A/N: So, I normally am not a really big fan of handkerchiefs, but for some reason I wrote this. I noticed that there are quite a few episodes where the boys (usually Dean) carry handkerchiefs/bandanas, so it’s not entirely out of character, right? I have evidence, and I couldn’t resist writing this:)

***

It’s raining hard by the time the Impala pulls up in front of the cemetery, fat drops of water that hit the windshield with a loud plunking noise.

Dean lingers in the passenger seat, coughing loudly against his palm before joining Sam at the back of the car.

“This is stupid, Dean,” Sam huffs while Dean pulls the shovels from the trunk. He pulls the hood of his brown jacket over his head, reaches over like he’s going to feel Dean’s forehead. “You’re just going to get sicker.”

Dean ducks away, double over to cough toward the ground.

“’M already sick,” he replies hoarsely once he catches his breath. “It’s you I’m worried about.”

Sam rolls his eyes, slams the trunk door closed.

“Don’t worry about me. Let’s just hurry up and get this over with.”

They hurry over to the grave site, their boots squelching in the mud. Sam works quickly, shoveling faster to make up for the fact that Dean’s going much slower than usual. His shoulder, still recovering from being dislocated the previous day, twinges sharply as he piles shovelful after shovelful of dirt next to the grave.

When they’ve got about three feet left, Dean climbs out of the hole, walks a few feet away. Sam keeps an eye on him out of the corner of his eye, but Dean’s back is turned toward him.

“Huh-CHUHhh! HTSHSH-ehh!”

Two sudden sneezes ring out in the silence. Sam sees Dean’s arm moving as he scrubs at his nose, and when he turns back around his face is slightly pink. He sniffles, drops back into the grave next to Sam, and picks up his shovel without a word. Dean looks absolutely miserable, hair dripping water down his face, nose red and running.

“Halfway done, man,” Sam says, hoping the rain will at least let up soon.

***

When they finally make it back to the motel, the sky is dark and they’re both soaked. They each take a turn in the shower, Dean first and then Sam, and when Sam emerges he sees Dean sprawled on his bed, nearly asleep.

Dean wakes with a start when Sam sits on the end of his own bed and it creaks loudly. He looks around the room blearily for a second before heaving an enormous sneeze into the crook of his elbow.

“Heh-HETSHCHshuh!”

He wipes his nose on his sleeve, then looks at the trail of snot in disgust before sneezing again.

“HRTCH-uhh! Ugh.”

He stands, shuffles into the bathroom with one hand cupped over his mouth and nose. Sam hears the water running, then the sound of Dean blowing his nose several times. Dean comes out of the bathroom with a wad of toilet paper crushed in his fist. His nose looks raw, and he winces as he aims yet another sneeze into the paper.

“HUPTCHshoo!”

Dean sniffles, tosses the used paper into the trashcan before collapsing onto the bed with a weary, congested sigh. He drags a wrist under his irritated nostrils with a small moan.

“You gonna be okay, man?” Sam asks, his forehead wrinkling with concern. When Dean doesn’t answer, he stands and makes his way over to their bags. Instead of going for his own, he reaches for Dean’s and pulls it up onto the bed. He hears the bed shift, knows that Dean is watching him. He digs through the duffle, and it takes him a few minutes until he finds what he’s looking for.

“Here.”

Sam holds out his find, and Dean sits up and takes it with another gurgling sniffle. He looks up at Sam, his cheeks reddening, and Sam turns his way, busies himself with something on the other side of the room. A few seconds later he hears the soft sound of Dean blowing his nose into the bandana.

“Thanks,” comes Dean’s croaky reply afterward, and Sam shrugs.

“You should get some sleep.”

Dean nods, but he remains sitting. Sam opens his laptop. Out of the corner of his eye, Sam can see Dean slowly rubbing one finger under his nose, a familiar expression on his face. He buries his lower face into the blue bandana, his breath hitching so loudly Sam can hear it across the room, little puffs of air that pull the soft fabric in and out.

“Hihh-ehhh…”

Sam watches Dean’s eyelashes flutter as the sneeze builds, until finally his head snaps forward.

“HTCHSHUH! God.”

“Bless you,” Sam says reflexively, and Dean grunts. He pulls the covers over himself, rolls so he has his back toward Sam.

After Dean is asleep, Sam sorts through his duffle for another bandana. Dean has several of them tucked away in different places, many of them stained with blood, but he finally finds one that’s clean. He takes the first one from Dean’s loose grasp, puts the fresh one on the nightstand along with a glass of tap water and the bottle of Tylenol before turning out the lights and climbing into his own bed.

***

End.

P.S. I don’t know if anyone else even cares about this kind of thing, but here is all my “evidence” I have collected (not that I spent a whole day collecting it or anything). Let me know if you think of any more!

Nightmare (1x14)- When the boys are checking out the outside of Max’s house, Dean pulls bandanas out of his pocket and tells Sam to wipe down his fingerprints, while he starts to do the same. (Why on earth is Dean carrying two?!)

Bad Day at Black Rock (3x3)- After Bella shoots Sam in the shoulder, he holds a bandana over the wound for the rest of the scene. In my mind, Dean pulled it out of his pocket and made him use it:P

Bedtime Stories (3x5)- In one scene (after they interview Gretel-girl) Dean is just holding this blue bandana. No idea what he’s doing with it, but it’s there. Maybe we missed something…

Red Sky at Morning (3x6)- Dean wraps the nasty hand of glory thing in his pocket square *cough*handkerchief*cough* that he has because he’s wearing a sexy tuxedo.

Jus In Bello (3x12)- Sam is pressing a magically-conjured white handkerchief to Dean’s bullet wound after he gets shot when they’re in the jail.

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester (4x7)- Sam and Dean each have their own bandana to wipe the blood off of their faces near the end of the episode. Dean was probably carrying both of them:P

Heaven and Hell (4x10)- Toward the beginning, when Anna cuts her arms (for blood for the sigil she draws on the mirror), Dean has a handy bandana in his jacket pocket to wrap around her wounds.

Mommy Dearest (6x19)- Dean uses a black bandana for the wound on his neck, and Castiel uses a white handkerchief to wipe blood from his hands. (Thank you allergyboy2001 for spotting this!!)

Edited May 1, 2011 by 27jaredjensen

[allergyboy2001]

Excellent evidence!

[iluvsneezes]

Another brilliant & drool-worthy story! I love all the evidence you put together too.

[sneeze@me]

mmm luv youre discriptions of how irritated and congested deans nose is. gr8 job.

[Foxfire]

Uhh, I think you just triggered an 'I-must-watch-Supernatural-right-now-to-check-out-the-bandana-scenes-and-imagine-why-they-would-carry-them' fit

Great story and sneezy sniffly Dean and caring Sam - love it!

[telltale]

Hee @ your evidence! I love you, and I love this to bits.

::loves on exhausted, sneezy Dean::

[Lady Blessington]

Whoa. That is some goooood evidence. Bandanas? I mean is that a mechanic thing? Or a we-might-need-to-bleed-into-something-and-wipe-our-prints-and-clean-our-guns hunter thing? And regardless of why they have them... since they have them... and we never see them with colds... I mean they must use them for that too, right? Right?? Or maybe they only carry them on their bodies when they're feeling sniffly... aghghhhhh the possibilities. Good lord you rock. As does this fic. Deeeean baby, with the blushing and the frustration... and especially this:

Out of the corner of his eye, Sam can see Dean slowly rubbing one finger under his nose, a familiar expression on his face. He buries his lower face into the blue bandana, his breath hitching so loudly Sam can hear it across the room, little puffs of air that pull the soft fabric in and out.

HOO.

[27jj]

Excellent evidence!

Hee, thanks!

Another brilliant & drool-worthy story! I love all the evidence you put together too.

Why thank you:) I'm glad you liked it!

mmm luv youre discriptions of how irritated and congested deans nose is. gr8 job.

Thank youu!!

Uhh, I think you just triggered an 'I-must-watch-Supernatural-right-now-to-check-out-the-bandana-scenes-and-imagine-why-they-would-carry-them' fit

Great story and sneezy sniffly Dean and caring Sam - love it!

Right?! I had way too much fun going through and watching all the parts again:) So interesting!

Thank you for reading!!

Hee @ your evidence! I love you, and I love this to bits.

::loves on exhausted, sneezy Dean::

Yay for love

Whoa. That is some goooood evidence. Bandanas? I mean is that a mechanic thing? Or a we-might-need-to-bleed-into-something-and-wipe-our-prints-and-clean-our-guns hunter thing? And regardless of why they have them... since they have them... and we never see them with colds... I mean they must use them for that too, right? Right?? Or maybe they only carry them on their bodies when they're feeling sniffly... aghghhhhh the possibilities. Good lord you rock. As does this fic. Deeeean baby, with the blushing and the frustration... and especially this:

Out of the corner of his eye, Sam can see Dean slowly rubbing one finger under his nose, a familiar expression on his face. He buries his lower face into the blue bandana, his breath hitching so loudly Sam can hear it across the room, little puffs of air that pull the soft fabric in and out.

HOO.

Who knows, but isn't it so interesting? I was thinking that it was a hunter thing, or at least whoever does costume (props?) (especially in S3) maybe thought so. I really like your idea of them carrying them when they feel sniffly, hee:) POSSIBILITIES INDEED.

[allergyboy2001]

More evidence:

In this week's episode, Season 6's "Mommy Dearest", Dean was bleeding and held a black bandanna to his neck.

Also, after interrogating a suspect, Castiel was wiping his hands with a white handkerchief. And the handkerchief must be something that he carries with him, rather than something he conjured out of thin air, since he did not have his powers at the time.

[Sitruuna]

Now... Clearly something to be loved! I guess reading this means that I'm now officially one of you guys, one of the SPN sneezefiction reading people... May I correct myself, sick!Dean lovers.

xD

Oh yes, did I even just watch the first two seasons of the show... Thanks to seeing all the SPN fiction listed here the idea of a cold ridden Dean wouldn't leave my head... *melts away*

[27jj]

More evidence:

In this week's episode, Season 6's "Mommy Dearest", Dean was bleeding and held a black bandanna to his neck.

Also, after interrogating a suspect, Castiel was wiping his hands with a white handkerchief. And the handkerchief must be something that he carries with him, rather than something he conjured out of thin air, since he did not have his powers at the time.

Good one!! I totally missed that. And I wonder if Cas was carrying the handkerchief with him, or if Dean was carrying it and gave it to him, or maybe Sam is the holder of all bandanas/handkerchiefs, or...SO MANY POSSIBILITIES.

I shall add it to the list:)

Now... Clearly something to be loved! I guess reading this means that I'm now officially one of you guys, one of the SPN sneezefiction reading people... May I correct myself, sick!Dean lovers.

xD

Oh yes, did I even just watch the first two seasons of the show... Thanks to seeing all the SPN fiction listed here the idea of a cold ridden Dean wouldn't leave my head... *melts away*

Haha Welcome to the party!

[swann_ee_song]

ILY. Really. Bandannas are awesome. And when sneezy Winchesters use them... they're awfully awesomely sexy.

Thank you not only for the fic but for the "evidence" too!!! Brilliant!!

[27jj]

ILY. Really. Bandannas are awesome. And when sneezy Winchesters use them... they're awfully awesomely sexy.

Thank you not only for the fic but for the "evidence" too!!! Brilliant!!

Aww, thank you:) ILY too

[sneezysammy345]

You are very observant. I have seen those episodes about a billion times. I'm going to watch most of them now. Your evidence is correct, so I'm not questioning anything, I'm just bored out of my mind right now.